North Korea has detained a Christian missionary from Australia, his family said Wednesday.
John Short, 75, was arrested in the capital city of Pyongyang, The New York Times reported. His wife said he was taken into custody on Sunday.
This was his second trip to the nation, Mrs. Short told the newspaper. And he hardly hid his missionary intent: He even read his Bible in front of North Korean guides on his first trip to the regime, she said, The New York Times reported.
“He won’t be intimidated by the Communists,” she said, in the paper.
He was caught Sunday with religious materials that had been translated from English into Korean, his family said. His imprisonment comes as North Korea is facing fire for the detainment of American Kenneth Bae for similar reasons.
A biography on a Christian website called Gospel Attract says Mr. Short has been arrested many times in China for his missionary work and for “speaking out about brutality against Chinese Christians.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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